Niger’s oil minister held a press conference on Wednesday to address a key issue for the country: the oil reserves Niger could rely on to fuel its development. Most of Niger’s oil production is currently operated by Chinese companies, but one area — the Kafra oil block — could become a cornerstone of economic cooperation with neighbouring Algeria. Active drilling has begun in the block, with the minister announcing that the zone could hold an estimated 2.5 billion barrels of oil. Our correspondent Harold Girard tells us more.